Metal coated fibers containing a sol gel formed porous polysilicate, titania or alumina interlayer and composite material articles reinforced therewith

Claim 1

A structural element, suitable for use in an EMI environment, formed of a material composite comprising a plurality of metal coated fibers dispersed in a thermoplastic continuous phase matrix material, wherein the metal coated fibers comprise an interlayer of porous microstructure between the fiber and the metal coating, comprising a material selected from the group consisting of polysilicate, titania, and alumina, formed on the fiber by application thereto of a sol gel dispersion comprising said material, and drying of the applied sol gel dispersion to form the porous microstructure, under selected temperature and drying conditions to partially collapse the pores of the microstructure and provide the interlayer with an average pore size of between about 20 and about 300 Angstroms and render it adherent to the substrate and scratch-resistant in character, the thickness of the interlayer being from about 30 to 2500 Angstroms, and the thickness of the metal coating being from about 0.01 to about 3.0 microns. said composite containing an EMI shieldingly effective amount of the metal-coated fibers in said thermoplastic continuous phase matrix material.